DC Superhero Girls CCBS line?

[Alyska]

So, it's recently been announced that DC Comics is introducing a new series aimed at young girls, and that Lego will be heavily involved with the merchandise. While I think it's reasonable to expect some minidoll sets out of this, I'm wondering if there's anything else in the works.

 

What particularly caught my eye in the announcement was the mention of poseable, free-standing action figures to be produced in addition to more traditional "dolls."  The use of the term "action figure" in relation to a toy for girls is pretty much unheard of, so I'm wondering if Lego is going to be involved with this. Their recent forays into more humanoid CCBS builds- particularly Star Wars- make me think that they are more capable than ever before of pulling off something like that.

 

... thoughts?

[masterchirox580]

I say it's possible, I just hope they don't make em like actual dolls.

[fishers64]

Possible. 

 

I think that they will do the System sets first, and if those sell well, go for a constraction line. That is if they can actually pull it off...

[Aanchir]

That would be amazing! However, keep in mind that the announcement was referring to the whole promotional campaign, not just the LEGO products. So by "action figures", it could have been referring to other brands of non-buildable action figures. Still, I do hope that LEGO's license is broad enough and successful enough for them to expand into constraction sets! It'd certainly help make up for the feeble gender ratios of the original three DC Super Heroes constraction sets (not to mention I'd expect the design quality of the sets to be much better, just as the design quality of other constraction sets has improved since those days)

 

I say it's possible, I just hope they don't make em like actual dolls.

 

I mean, there's not a huge difference between dolls and action figures other than what kind of play pattern they're being marketed with. Dolls are usually designed for slice-of-life role play or fashion play, while action figures are usually designed for action play. But both are articulated figures who may or may not include accessories (which, on action figures, are usually weapons rather than purses or jewelry like you might find on a fashion doll).

They also tend to have some aesthetic differences, in that dolls are usually designed to look "beautiful" and action figures are usually designed to look "tough", but that's more of a tendency than an actual rule. There's no reason a doll can't look "tough" or an action figure can't look "beautiful".

[Lyichir]

It's a possibility, but I would personally doubt it considering that Lego's first foray into Super Heroes constraction figures wasn't entirely successful. If they had a current Super Heroes constraction theme, it'd be a natural extension of it, but given that that theme ended almost as soon as it began, I have my doubts that Lego would try again starting with a relatively untested market.

[Noxryn]

I say it's possible, I just hope they don't make em like actual dolls.

 

i play with my bionicle dolls at least once a month ill have you know

 

 

 

 

But since the companies used "action figure" I'd assume it means CCBS type things a la the new Star Wars stuff. I'm happy either way, I just hope they're within my budget range.

[Rahkshi Lalonde]

 It'd certainly help make up for the feeble gender ratios of the original three DC Super Heroes constraction sets

 

you say that as if there even was a ratio. :V

[Alyska]

That would be amazing! However, keep in mind that the announcement was referring to the whole promotional campaign, not just the LEGO products. So by "action figures", it could have been referring to other brands of non-buildable action figures. Still, I do hope that LEGO's license is broad enough and successful enough for them to expand into constraction sets! It'd certainly help make up for the feeble gender ratios of the original three DC Super Heroes constraction sets (not to mention I'd expect the design quality of the sets to be much better, just as the design quality of other constraction sets has improved since those days)

In all probability, the action figures would be just regular action figures produced by another company, as the idea of marketing CCBS to girls seems like a bigger risk than what LEGO traditionally takes. That said, if they were to try it, I would expect they'd run with an established brand- either a successful one of their own, like Elves, or a licensed theme like this.

 

What I'm interested in is playability potential. I see no point pretending that a majority of girls would play with female action figures the way most boys play with male ones- flying them round the room, bashing them into one another, launching projectiles, etc, so I'd be looking more at poseability, customisation and the potential for story-based play.

[Smitty]

Mattel is also involved in this line.

 

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/04/dc-comics-and-mattel-partner-to-make-action-figure.html

[Alyska]

Ah, well, that's that, then... for now.Thanks for the link.

[masterchirox580]

That would be amazing! However, keep in mind that the announcement was referring to the whole promotional campaign, not just the LEGO products. So by "action figures", it could have been referring to other brands of non-buildable action figures. Still, I do hope that LEGO's license is broad enough and successful enough for them to expand into constraction sets! It'd certainly help make up for the feeble gender ratios of the original three DC Super Heroes constraction sets (not to mention I'd expect the design quality of the sets to be much better, just as the design quality of other constraction sets has improved since those days)

 

I say it's possible, I just hope they don't make em like actual dolls.

 

I mean, there's not a huge difference between dolls and action figures other than what kind of play pattern they're being marketed with. Dolls are usually designed for slice-of-life role play or fashion play, while action figures are usually designed for action play. But both are articulated figures who may or may not include accessories (which, on action figures, are usually weapons rather than purses or jewelry like you might find on a fashion doll).

 

They also tend to have some aesthetic differences, in that dolls are usually designed to look "beautiful" and action figures are usually designed to look "tough", but that's more of a tendency than an actual rule. There's no reason a doll can't look "tough" or an action figure can't look "beautiful".

I think it would just be good to have a girls toy line that didn't revolve around things like fashion and looks. 

[Aanchir]

 

That would be amazing! However, keep in mind that the announcement was referring to the whole promotional campaign, not just the LEGO products. So by "action figures", it could have been referring to other brands of non-buildable action figures. Still, I do hope that LEGO's license is broad enough and successful enough for them to expand into constraction sets! It'd certainly help make up for the feeble gender ratios of the original three DC Super Heroes constraction sets (not to mention I'd expect the design quality of the sets to be much better, just as the design quality of other constraction sets has improved since those days)

 

I say it's possible, I just hope they don't make em like actual dolls.

 

I mean, there's not a huge difference between dolls and action figures other than what kind of play pattern they're being marketed with. Dolls are usually designed for slice-of-life role play or fashion play, while action figures are usually designed for action play. But both are articulated figures who may or may not include accessories (which, on action figures, are usually weapons rather than purses or jewelry like you might find on a fashion doll).

 

They also tend to have some aesthetic differences, in that dolls are usually designed to look "beautiful" and action figures are usually designed to look "tough", but that's more of a tendency than an actual rule. There's no reason a doll can't look "tough" or an action figure can't look "beautiful".

I think it would just be good to have a girls toy line that didn't revolve around things like fashion and looks. 

 

The fact that the press release describes them as action figures to begin with suggests that won't be a concern. Even if the toys are doll-like from an aesthetic standpoint, describing them as action figures automatically suggests that action play would be a factor in their design.

[masterchirox580]

 

 

That would be amazing! However, keep in mind that the announcement was referring to the whole promotional campaign, not just the LEGO products. So by "action figures", it could have been referring to other brands of non-buildable action figures. Still, I do hope that LEGO's license is broad enough and successful enough for them to expand into constraction sets! It'd certainly help make up for the feeble gender ratios of the original three DC Super Heroes constraction sets (not to mention I'd expect the design quality of the sets to be much better, just as the design quality of other constraction sets has improved since those days)

 

I say it's possible, I just hope they don't make em like actual dolls.

 

I mean, there's not a huge difference between dolls and action figures other than what kind of play pattern they're being marketed with. Dolls are usually designed for slice-of-life role play or fashion play, while action figures are usually designed for action play. But both are articulated figures who may or may not include accessories (which, on action figures, are usually weapons rather than purses or jewelry like you might find on a fashion doll).

 

They also tend to have some aesthetic differences, in that dolls are usually designed to look "beautiful" and action figures are usually designed to look "tough", but that's more of a tendency than an actual rule. There's no reason a doll can't look "tough" or an action figure can't look "beautiful".

I think it would just be good to have a girls toy line that didn't revolve around things like fashion and looks. 

 

The fact that the press release describes them as action figures to begin with suggests that won't be a concern. Even if the toys are doll-like from an aesthetic standpoint, describing them as action figures automatically suggests that action play would be a factor in their design.

 

Well in that case I tip my hat off to DC, and now I really hope they are CCBS figures.